


understudy

by tagteamme



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bad Acting, Fluff, Humor, Keith's back with the team but at what cost, M/M, the voltron show
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 16:26:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13252077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tagteamme/pseuds/tagteamme
Summary: Keith rejoins the team and tries to adjust to his newest role.





	understudy

**Author's Note:**

> Me: has deep and serious thoughts about Keith’s role in the team post season 4, not only in relation to Shiro, but to the others, and the role he plays as the crux between the BOM and Team Voltron
> 
> the me that is both stronger and more idiotic: ok but what if —

No one expects Keith to be game. They all have a look of mild apprehension on their face, as if Keith’s going to use the fabric in his hands to suffocate each one of them single-handedly before ejecting himself into the deep void of space. The only one that’s looking at him eagerly is Coran.

It’s his first monumental task after rejoining the team on the castle-ship. It’s also a monumentally dumb idea. Keith knows he doesn’t have to prove himself, and that everyone expects him to reject the task.

“Yeah,” he says. The team collectively blinks. “Sure. Whatever.”

 

* * *

 

“You look astoundingly ugly,” Lance quips from the seats when Keith steps in to the castle-ship's lounge. Hunk snorts. Keith stands up straighter while Shiro thwacks both of them on the back of their heads.

“It’s for the show,” Shiro scolds, but his forehead is turning slightly pink from the strain of holding back his own laughter and Keith knows his nobility is all a front.

“There’s a wig too,” Coran pulls out a huge tangled bundle of white hair, and Keith’s sigh resonates through the walls.

 

* * *

  

Keith can count on one hand the amount of times Allura has been a damsel in distress. The amount of times she hasn’t put up a fight is nonexistent. However, Coran explains that they’re aiming for awe, not accuracy.

None of them want to do anymore Voltron shows but while the morale has been higher than it has been before, there are a few allies that have been flagging a little. Keith’s glad that he wasn’t around for the first round of exhibitions. The secondhand embarrassment from hearing his team talk about it is something that’s going to stick with Keith for a long time.

“We’re coming, Princess!” Pidge’s voice rings through the small arena.

There’s a beat of silence— right, that’s Keith’s cue.

“Please,” he calls out monotonously. “I’m running out of time.”

He can imagine Coran twitching at the gates, but it’s Keith’s first show. He’s also just shit at acting and has no desire to get better. Apparently Allura has already played Keith enough that switching her out would confuse the audience. There’s only one other person left for Keith to play, because Coran says he’d rather have a real artist play him and that’s emphatically not Keith.

There’s a loud thud, and some dust shakes from the corners of the fake cage Keith’s trapped in. He adjusts his wig to make sure it won’t fly off during his big rescue. The face paint they used to mimic Allura's markings has started to itch.

A few aliens in weird, plush, purple suits rush the cage, but Allura and Shiro “fight” them off, all while grunting like gorillas. Supposedly, the sounds add an extra flavour.

“Keith!” Keith calls out, and it’s extremely weird to see Allura turn around almost immediately. “Shiro, I’m here!”

“Princess!” Shiro calls out while Allura shoves away another plush alien with a dramatic growl.

“Save me,” Keith rattles the bars of the cage. He blanks and doesn’t remember what expository paragraph he’s supposed to recite after, so he rattles some more.

“You go,” Allura tells Shiro, voice as flat as a board. “I’ll fight off the Galra and buy you some time.”

“I’m not leaving without you,” Shiro says with enough earnestness that Keith wonders if he’s been sneaking off to practice his lines.

“Better me than you,” Allura says, and Keith doesn’t think he’s _that_ obnoxiously moody.

“Keith…” Shiro trails off, before dramatically turning his head to where Keith’s trapped in a cage. The arena dims, and the spotlight shines down on the three of them. Shiro stalks slowly towards the cage and Keith can hear Pidge’s voice bellow across the arena, declaring that she’s hacking in through the mainframe. Keith shakes the bars again, and feels them give a little. He wedges them back in place, just as Shiro’s hands covers his around the bar.

“We’ll save you,” Shiro announces in a voice an octave lower than normal. Keith’s skewered between trying not to laugh and _actually liking it._ Keith takes a step back; Shiro’s Galra hand glows purple before he yanks off the entire face of the cage with a dramatic yell and throws it away. It audibly clips one of the alien actors in the head, and Shiro winces before rallying.

He sticks out a hand to Keith, and Keith tries his best to step forward in Allura’s dress without tripping over the fabric. He grasps Shiro’s hands, and the crowd _oooh’_ s. Keith tries to act out a grateful smile, and the sound dies down. Like they practiced, Shiro bends down and grabs Keith by the knees, hauling him over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry.

“We’re running out of time” Allura calls out, and Keith’s a little glad that she’s decided to finally put some emotion into her voice. “Leave!”

“Not without you!” Shiro calls, and Keith tries not to bounce too hard off Shiro’s back as he jogs towards Allura.

He holds on to his wig as Shiro uses his free hand and pries off fake Galra from where Allura is cornered. She’s on the ground, a red streamer sticking out from her side, face still flat as she says, “Ouch. I am injured.“

Keith gives Allura a little wave once Shiro hauls her over his other shoulder.

“Nice acting,” he says, and Allura gives him a wink.

“You too,” she says, the trail end of her sentence getting caught on the big screen hovering from the ceiling. Her eyes widen in panic at being caught before she squeezes them shut and pretends to pass out.

The rest of the team descends to strike their final pose, having taken down another fake Galra ship and saved the princess. Keith feels slightly indignant that his character’s the only one to have passed out, but reminds himself that caring about this show is a dangerous rabbit hole to fall into. He distracts himself by seeing if he can reach down and drum his fingers against Shiro’s behind. He feels a warning squeeze on his thigh, and gives an hard pinch in return. When Shiro drops him down, his face is a little pink.

 

* * *

 

Keith steps out of the bathroom, hands on his hips, and tries to smoulder in Shiro’s direction.

“Take that off,” Shiro says from where he’s sliding into their bed, decidedly not making eye contact with Keith.

“Why don’t you take it off for me?” Keith purrs, throwing a white strand of hair over his shoulder. “ _Baby._ ”

Shiro splutters and turns red. It gets even harder for Keith to keep his composure and not burst out laughing.

“I don’t think the Princess will be happy if you use her clothes like this,” Shiro says determinedly and Keith shrugs.

“She says she doesn’t want it back anymore,” he says. “And the wig’s Coran’s anyways.”

“That makes it worse,” Shiro sounds physically pained at this point, and Keith snickers.

“Come on,” he says, stalking towards the bed. He hikes one leg onto the mattress, letting the skirt fall dramatically from his legs to reveal his black pants.

“You still wear those underneath?” Shiro frowns.

“Always,” Keith grins. “So how about it? Shiro the hero, right? Come claim your pri-“

“I’m going to cut you off right there,” Shiro says before he pulls the blanket up over his head and rolls away from Keith. Keith gives a genuine laugh at how Shiro squirms.

“Come on,” he insists, and Shiro says something that’s way too muffled to be comprehensible.  
  
A few moments later, Keith drapes himself over Shiro’s body to pull at the blanket and try to kiss Shiro’s head. Shiro only gives in when he peeks out and sees that Keith has shucked off _all_ his clothes.

 

* * *

 

“Does Keith _have_ to be in this?” Lance asks heatedly, and for once, Keith immediately agrees with him.

They’re on show two out of four, and the script calls for Lance to dramatically rescue Princess Allura directly from Zarkon’s grasp. It also calls for Lance to flirt with the princess. Keith would rather deposit himself into the hands of the real Zarkon than have Lance flirt with him on a live broadcast, and from the look on Lance's face, the feeling is shared.

“It’s your chance to be the hero!” Pidge says, because she’s nothing but pure evil. Lance scoffs and folds his arms over his chest.

“No thanks,” he says, and both Lance and Keith turn to Shiro to be the voice of reason.

“It’ll be a good way to expand your acting skills,” Shiro says in as serious a voice possible, and Keith now knows that the only reason everyone else is enthusiastic about the shows is because they like to watch Keith suffer.

“Whatever,” he grunts at Lance, who grunts back with equal displeasure. “Just don’t look me in the eyes.”

It’s maybe the worst thing Keith’s had to do in his life, but to his and Lance's credit, they manage to act it out without clawing at each other’s faces. Lance has to say his stupid particle barrier line, and Keith prays to whatever higher heaven there is that none of the Blades are  watching this broadcast.

Lance is supposed to carry Keith out bridal style, but Coran had stepped out of their dressing room for a tick and they quickly made a pact that no such thing would happen.

So instead, Lance immediately turns on his heel and sprints. Keith hikes up the skirt to make it easier to dash after him, and Coran is infinitely displeased when he meets them at the gate of the arena.

 

* * *

 

One thing Keith’s not prepared for is the concept of fans. Specifically, Shiro’s fans.

Apparently each one of the paladins have a circle of supporters, and Shiro’s got quite the fan base. Keith’s not surprised; at the Garrison, Shiro would leave a trail of fawning cadets in his blissfully ignorant wake. Keith didn’t mind then, because he had an automatic monopoly on Shiro’s free time.

Something strange twinges through him this time though, when a group of really enthusiastic aliens find the teams dressing room and bang on the door, asking if they can meet Shiro. It makes itself really well known when Shiro meets them with a good natured smile and they immediately crowd him, clamouring to proclaim their love for him. One of them wraps three tentacle-like fingers around Shiro’s bicep and squeezes, clicking out something low and sultry.

Okay, low and sultry may be a stretch, but Shiro turns red anyways and _that_ is something that Keith normally likes to hoard away for himself. He tries not to shoot daggers with his eyes, but that seems to be his default expression . He just can’t _help_ the fact that something possessive rings in him like a bell and makes him clear his throat continously.

Shiro takes a picture with the aliens, signs a couple of hand drawn posters, and Keith keeps repeatedly crossing and uncrossing his arms.

“Try not to be too obvious,” Allura mutters under her breath and Keith chooses to ignore her.

 

* * *

 

Keith’s currently draped across a raised platform, trying not to look bored while waiting for Pidge to come rescue him from what is supposed to pass off as merpeople. He’s wearing a giant glass bowl over his head for “air”.  He had worn it and chased around Shiro all morning, trying to get him to kiss him with it on. Lance and Hunk had shot little jelly cubes in through the top opening, keeping score of who landed the most cubes. It’s the most ridiculous costume piece he’s had to wear yet.

He watches Pidge weave through the aliens that are acting as their enemies, picking them off like they’re nothing. Hunk shoots confetti out of a yellow canon, giving some kind of indecipherable yell with each burst. Faintly, Keith thinks about how Allura feels about being portrayed as a monotonous princess who always lands herself in trouble.

Later that night, they host a diplomatic dinner in the castle-ship, and a high ranking official decides he’s going to try to “rescue” the princess by sweeping her up of her feet unawares and spinning her around. He makes it a whole second before Allura wrenches out of his grasp and brings him to his knees as he babbles something about just really being into the shows. Allura reminds him politely that it would do him great harm to ever act on an urge like this again, and he spends the evening cowering in a corner.  
  
He knows he’s not _actually_ Allura, but Keith can’t help feel highly vindicated.

 

* * *

 

The fourth and last show goes bonkers, primarily because Matt decides to land up to watch his baby sister perform, and ropes himself in to assist.

Keith’s tied up and dangling upside down (Matt’s idea), and his mouths hanging open. Coran has been openly lamenting about Keith’s acting ability, so Matt’s prerecorded some of his own high pitched screams so they can blare over speakers while Keith hangs.

The Allura-wig has long fallen off Keith’s head and onto the floor a hundred feet below, but the crowd does not notice or care. They’re too busy roaring over Pidge, Matt, and Shiro battling off giant holographic monsters that look oddly similar to some of the graffiti Keith used to find on the buildings that littered the outskirts of the Garrison.

Keith watches Pidge leap high and crack her bayard through the air, hooking a holographic monster and bringing it down to meet its maker. He feels a sense of pride at knowing she’s as good at doing that to real enemies.

Loud fireworks burst behind him, and Keith wonders if it would be out of character to jiggle himself hard enough to turn around and watch them.

“Princess!” Matt calls out as he rides up towards Keith on- Keith doesn’t know what the hell that is, but it looks like a dragon flattened out into a longboard. “'Tis I, the great rebel leader, here to rescue you!”

“Thanks,” Keith says, watching Matt circle around him once, twice, three times, striking various muscle man poses to the delight of the crowd.

Matt brandishes a giant scimitar and swings, slicing through the ribbon that has been holding Keith up. Immediately as the rope goes slack, Matt dives for Keith and catches him by his ankles.

Or, he makes an attempt. Keith feels his feet slide through Matt’s hands, and time freezes for a moment. The crowds takes a collective gasp and goes silent as Keith starts to plummet towards the ground.

Keith’s going to be damned if he dies during the Great Voltron Show, so he struggles against his bindings, trying to rotate himself in the air. The ground's approaching so fast that Keith doesn’t have time to register any form of panic, nor does he have time do more than grunt with the effort of doing anything. For a split second, he wonders if Red can burst through the arena in time, and if she’ll know to follow the rotunda out to the gates and not ream through the audience.

There’s a loud “ _Keith!”_  and in less than a fraction of a second, big sturdy arms have scooped Keith out of the air. The crowd thunders as Shiro hovers a few feet above the ground, breathing heavy with adrenaline. His jet pack sputters as he slowly brings them down, and Keith’s not a fan of how much his legs shake when Shiro reluctantly sets him down on the ground. He tears Keith’s ties apart with his hands, and Keith shakes his limbs loose.

“That would have been the worst way to go,” Keith half jokes, planting his hands on his thighs as he catches his breath. He thinks it’s half the rush of a near death experience, and half the horrid realization that he almost died in the lamest way ever. “God, I hate this.”

“You and me both,” Shiro starts but gets cut off by Matt charging towards them on his hover board.

“Princess!” He calls out and _god_ , Keith hates that he’s just a fractionally cooler version of Lance. Matt does a dive for Keith, but Shiro grabs Keith by the waist and spins him around so that Matt misses again. Shiro lands Keith in a low dip, and Keith tilts his head up to see they’re there on the big screen.

Keith can’t let himself be the most embarrassed person in this scenario, so he flutters his lashes and grasps his chest.

“Shiro,” he says as lavishly as possible. “My hero.”

Shiro rolls his eyes before leaning in and pressing a short peck to the corner of his mouth. Right as another round of fireworks burst, Shiro ruins the moment by dumping Keith unceremoniously onto the ground. The crowd response is deafening.

 

* * *

 

The Blades have watched the show. 

"It's important to boost morale," Kolivan says in his ever-grave voice, holding up a diskette to the camera feed. If Keith can decipher it properly, it says _SMALL BLADE: VLTRN SHOW._  "It was a noble effort."

Keith's going to lose it. He calms himself down by telling himself that at least Lotor's not sending him a box of chocolates, proclaiming himself to be a big fan of Keith's work. It happens once in a dream, and he wakes up pawing at Shiro and babbling half-asleep about sending gifts back.

Lance discover's Keith's interpretation has shot ahead of Lance in the popularity polls. Keith tries to remind him that they're fighters, not celebrities, and their main job is gaining allies and defending the universe. All the while, Keith takes no measures to hide an extremely smug face.

Allura reiterates that Keith can keep the dress. She’s got many identical dresses, she explains. After seeing Keith wearing it so much, she feels like she needs a change of wardrobe. It is, after all, a little outdated. She doesn’t specify that it’s due to her walking in on Shiro and Keith making out in an alcove in the rotunda  after the final show, Keith still in her dress.

Keith thinks it’s for the best.

**Author's Note:**

> (They didn’t actually need to do the shows. This was Coran’s secret team building excercise so that he could reintegrate Keith as smoothly as possible)
> 
> please check out [ this amazing fanart!!!](http://hdgrazia.tumblr.com/post/169595550876/save-me-keith-rattles-the-bars-of-the-cage-he) drawn by the lovely [hdgrazia](http://hdgrazia.tumblr.com.)!!
> 
> come hang out with me on my [blogē](http://phaltu.tumblr.com)


End file.
